


Cold Case

by elwon



Series: JayDick Flash Fic [17]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Character Study, Gen, barely even case fic, jaydick-flashfic: cold case, mentions of murder scenes, slightly spooky goings on, this is gen but the companion fic will not be
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2020-10-05 20:10:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20494631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elwon/pseuds/elwon
Summary: Dick’s been put on light patrol duties while recovering from a serious injury. The last thing he expects is to see a strangely helpful but not helpful Jason while he’s working a cold case.Companion toShades of the Past.





	Cold Case

Dick’s barely got one foot on the wooden steps of the now abandoned 21 Dual Street when he hears heavy footfalls behind him. At this time of night, no-one should be walking around the sub-suburbs. He narrows his eyes and turns towards the noise.

He isn’t expecting to see Jason in his full red Hood get up, helmet shining in the overhead streetlight as he pauses two arms lengths away. Jason’s body language tends to be deceptive, Dick’s realised. When he’s truly angry or about to attack, he goes loose and theatrical. He’s most receptive when he looks tense and that not-quite-hesitant stance of his makes it look like he’s in two minds between staying and leaving.

“Hood.” Dick says as a greeting.

“’Wing.” Jason tilts his head, studying Dick. “Thought you were benched.”

“I’m fine. Why does everyone keep nagging?” Dick sighs, lifting a hand to run it through his hair, ignoring how the extra grip palms snag on the strands. “I’m working a cold case. Because if I don’t do something I’ll go mad. So, I’m checking on the crime scene. Happy?”

“Never. And I didn’t actually ask.” Jason shrugs. “What, you thought I was checking up on you for _Batsy_?” Jason snorts, and the voice modulator on the helmet gives it a crackly edge. 

“No. I just... I don’t know. Everyone’s been hovering and doing everything for me before I can; I guess I’m just a bit antsy.” Dick bites his lip, trying to hold back a weary sigh.

“Getting a taste of your own medicine, huh?” Jason snorts again. He turns his head to stare up at the house. “You going in there?”

“That’s the plan.” Dick nods, looking up at the house too. All he sees is peeling paint on the wood siding, dirty windows and grimy lace curtains. 

“Hmm.” Jason starts walking towards the steps, going past Dick without so much as by-your-leave.

“Not that I’m against company, Hood, but...” Dick takes a breath, about to find a polite way to ask Jason to leave him to it.

“But? I’m not taking over your case, Wing. But I do need to check out this place for other purposes.” Jason twists on his heel, staring down at Dick from the top step. “That a problem?”

“...No. It’s fine. I suppose.” Dick sighs, and follows Jason up the steps. By the time he’s caught up to him by the front door, Jason’s got it open and has stepped through. The house looks unloved and forlorn. Smears of flaky rusted brown mar the walls of the entrance way. The truly grisly murder that happened here still hasn’t been cleaned up even two years later. Even in a place like Gotham, some events are so horrific that no one’s willing to touch what is otherwise a pretty decent piece of real estate.

Dick hears Jason huff, and looks over to see him begin to climb the flight of stairs to the next floor up. He seems to know what he’s doing and where he’s going, so Dick lets him be to investigate the first floor. Which, after a good twenty minutes of poking about, reveals nothing but the blood stains on the walls, and on the carpet in the living room. 

Sighing, Dick heads upstairs. He’s not heard anything from Jason, he’s not actually entirely sure he’s still in the house. Dick wouldn’t put it past him to have left without a word. 

“No, I won’t be doing that.” Jason says firmly, and Dick frowns wondering who he’s talking to.

“Hood?” Dick calls out as he crests the stairs. He spots Jason in a bedroom and heads in. “Doing what?”

Jason turns to look at him, and Dick, not for the first or even last time, curses the fact he can’t see what emotions are on Jason’s face because of it. “Uh... The graffiti.” Dick goes further into the bedroom, seeing a large tag on the otherwise empty master wall that reads ‘will someone just tell the joker that batman isn’t going to be taking him to prom?’

“Ha. I mean hell no, but also yes.” Dick chuckles quietly. Beside him, Jason tenses up. A second ago he was calm and relaxed, and now he’s clearly not. And the only difference is how close Dick is standing to him. A dull ache starts under Dick’s rib bones. His relationship with Jason is still stressed and strained, but he thought things had been getting better lately. Apparently not. 

“So, I got what I came here for.” Jason says, walking behind Dick, still very tense. “And I know I said I wouldn’t touch your case, but I’m pretty sure you’re looking at Killer Croc.”

“What makes you think it’s Croc?” Dick swings round, torn between making Jason stay to explain himself, and letting him go and avoiding a potential argument.

“Just a feeling, Dickie.” Jason says softly, slipping down the stairs like a ghost. “Just a feeling.”

“A feeling.” Dick repeats, leaving the bedroom to see Jason walk through the door. “Helpful! Thanks so much, Jay.” The sarcasm sits bitterly on his tongue. Dick shivers as the whole house suddenly feels colder and less welcoming without Jason in it.

There’s a crawling sensation up his spine, and Dick turns sharply to look into the empty room behind him. The fact that there’s nothing there does nothing to put him at ease. The coldness of the house and the rancid smell of iron that starts to waft past him is _unnerving_. 

Dick’s never been called a coward, in fact usually he’s called reckless; although he maintains all his risks are calculated. Years of experience give him the ability to process the variables, choosing the best path almost instantly; but standing here alone in a gruesome scene of death, Dick finds all he wants to do is leave. 

He doesn’t bother to look in the other rooms; the chill horror drives him out into the street before he can do anything else.


End file.
